The maps are still 2D.
IIRC, they'll be hex based instead of square as well.
Think of having the screen zoom smoothly in from a system-view to a colony and stats view when you click a planet for example.
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its simply so much cheaper to create great looking art in 3d than it is 2d. look how many 2d pics are just pics of 3d objects.
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Not in processor time...
The 2D pics that you see here rendered from 3D models can have a zillion polygons, and take an hour to render once without causing any problems in SE4.
You have to use really low poly, and thus blocky, and relatively ugly models in order to render 30 FPS of a combat involving hundreds to thousands of ships.